


Shades of Green

by bgn846



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Episode Ignis Verse 2, F/M, Gen, Happy Ending, Ignis can see, Noct also shows up for a little bit, Noct lives, Prompto gets a line, Quarantine ffxv exchange 2020, just a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: What shapes a person's life?  Important events, friends, choices you make when it really matters?  Aranea may already know the answer, but she still has to navigate life all the same.
Kudos: 9
Collections: Quarantine FFXV Exchange 2020





	Shades of Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LunaAvalon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaAvalon/gifts).



> I received a lovely prompt for an Aranea centric fic with a hint of a ship if it worked. So I give you Aranea with a dash of Ignis. :) 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Rushing down the corridor Aranea attempted to duck into an empty room to hide. No such luck, the pesky kid following her merely continued shouting. She could hear his accented voice getting louder as he approached. She knew her cover had been blown but maybe she could trick this little brat and get away without any fuss. 

Unfortunately for Aranea, this brat was no ordinary kid. It became apparent that the bespectacled youth was smarter than he looked. In no time he’d ripped open the door to the room and stood staring at her from the hallway. He didn’t enter the space and kept backing away when she would advance. Great, she couldn’t even grab him and shove his skinny ass in a closet. 

“Who are you?” He demanded after a moment.

“The hired help,” she shot back, “Why are you harassing me?”

“You’ve not been hired to work _here_.” He added with narrowed eyes. 

“Oh, so you know everyone who works in this vast complex?” Aranea huffed.

“I don’t have to know everyone individually, but there is a level of quality demanded of all staff here.” The kid offered as he stood up straight and attempted to stare down at her, despite his height disadvantage. “You are not displaying that level of quality.”

This little punk was insulting her now. Sneaking into Insomnia to spy on the royal family seemed like a good idea at first. Aranea was only seventeen and looking for something exciting to do that might be lucrative. However, as she glared at this kid, she was reconsidering her plans. Nothing in Insomnia had improved her daily life, and the pay wasn’t that great. Deciding right then and there to abandon her self-imposed mission she began thinking on how to escape. 

Aranea only felt slightly guilty for what she’d done as she raced away from the kid, who was still hollering his head off. He’d recover; she’d only given him a light punch to the gut. It was enough to send him sprawling backwards and dislodge his glasses. Stunned green eyes had blinked up at her as she bolted. It was almost as if no one had ever lied to the kid before, he had actually believed her tale about coming quietly. 

It didn’t matter, she’d never see him again, she had other plans and they didn’t involve playing maid at the citadel!

* * *

The fight had just begun when Aranea noticed him, a tall skinny man trailing the crown prince of Lucis around like a puppy. Choosing to ignore the fact that Noctis was actually king Aranea jumped into the fray, she had a job to do but it didn’t mean she had to like it. The longer the fight went on the more intrigued Aranea became with the tall skinny guy. He wore glasses and had an accent. A memory of her brief time in Insomnia came flooding back at one point and she nearly tripped. There was no way this gangling man throwing daggers at her was that brat from so many years ago. 

Deciding to get a better look Aranea worked to draw the man aside and away from Noctis. She didn’t have much time; they all liked to fight as a group and were quickly realizing her plan. Finally though, after one perfectly timed jab of her spear, Aranea saw his face up close. The man had dodged her attack effortlessly, and his piercing green eyes bored into her skull as he leaned away. 

It was the same face she remembered, that little kid had grown up. A smile crept across her features as Aranea continued to fight. Time started to drag and Aranea was tiring of their current activity. Noctis and his friends fought well and she honestly didn’t see the point. The empire had begun to do odd things and Aranea wasn’t seeing the benefit as of late. Deciding she’d had enough Aranea jumped away. 

As far as she was concerned her day was over, Aranea had a feeling she’d see Noctis and crew again anyway. Ardyn was up to shit and he kept asking for her assistance. Unsure what his intentions were Aranea could only play along until it wasn’t worth it anymore. For now a tactical retreat would be enough. 

Leaping away out of range of their weapons Aranea shouted her message down Noctis. “Sorry this girl doesn’t work after hours. I could, but there wouldn’t be a single gil in it for me.!” The distant shouts of Noctis and his party reached her ears as she disappeared into the night. 

* * *

Hunting for mythril hadn’t been terribly exciting. Aranea’s only perk was getting to see the green eyed man, Ignis, again. It seemed he hadn’t put the pieces together about their previous encounter all those years ago at the citadel. She was still on the fence about bringing it up, time would tell. For now she preferred working with Noctis instead of fighting against him. At this stage in the game she’d have to keep that opinion on the down low. A quick warning to Noctis was all she felt she could provide after they’d completed their task. Once they’d reached the surface again after exiting the dungeon Aranea decided to casually offer Noctis, Ignis, and the plucky blond a ride. Ardyn wanted her to help them so this fit. 

Biggs and Wedge had the dropship ready to go in no time. The ride to Lestallum wouldn’t take very long, and Aranea would be back vanquishing the ever increasing daemons soon enough. However she still had some level of curiosity regarding Ignis. Noctis’ advisor was acting the role of parent in every way. The body guard that normally watched Noctis was missing, but Aranea assumed it wouldn’t be a permanent absence. Ignis seemed to be taking up both positions to ensure Noctis’ safety; it was cute in a way. Without thinking Aranea wandered over to make small talk. 

She only had to wait a second before capturing Ignis’ full attention. “So, have I improved my quality of work since we met last?” 

The man in front of her tilted his head and blinked slowly. He almost looked as if he might start shouting but instead calmly turned to Noctis. “Highness, do you recall the incident when I was nine and you were convinced I was going crazy.”

“Huh? What are you on about?” He asked halting his conversation with Prompto. “About that maid that wasn’t really a maid? Yeah I remember, why? You wanna start fighting over it again. I’m telling you Specs she wasn’t ever there.”

Ignis cleared his throat and gestured over to Aranea. “I beg to differ, allow me to introduce you to said maid.” He added while looking up at her with a cold expression. 

Aranea had to, in great detail, describe the inside of the citadel kitchens before Noct would believe her tale. Ignis remained quite the whole time as she explained her reasoning. The king , on the other hand, was very animated. 

“You needed money so you wanted to work as a maid?” He sputtered once she’d finished.

Sighing through her nose, Aranea tried to explain once more. “No twinkle toes, I didn’t want to work as a maid. I wanted to do something exciting and earn some good money while doing it. I stupidly assumed the great Lucians had something fun going on behind closed doors. Six, was I wrong. Stuffy pants over here,” Aranea paused and waved a dismissive hand towards Ignis, “was the most excitement I managed to find.”

“You beat him up?! How is that fun?” Noct asked bewildered.

“She did not beat me up!” Ignis interjected, breaking his silence. “She merely shoved me aside, by means of a punch to the gut if I remember.”

“Yeah, see the look he’s giving me now? It’s the same one from all those years ago.” She huffed with a smirk. 

“So wait, you came to Insomnia, snuck into the citadel and then what?”

“I told you, I thought things happened there that would be good to overhear. I was mistaken. The gossip mill was the same one that pops up everywhere. Who had sex with whom and what do I need to do to get this year’s budget passed. It was lame!” Aranea exclaimed. “I wanted wartime secrets and plans of attack against the empire, even something about the Nox Fluerets. I got nothing and believe me I wandered around looking for it!”

“That stuff happens behind closed doors, you would have never heard it anyway.” Noct offered confidently. 

Aranea snickered, “that’s what you think baby blue eyes. I managed to overhear a council meeting once. I feel asleep in the damn cabinet I was hiding in.” 

Noct got wide eyed and clamped his mouth shut after that. 

“Look, nothing came of it. I got bored and the pay wasn’t enough to entice me to stick around. I had bigger plans.” 

“Were you hoping for secrets to sell?” Ignis asked softly. 

Pausing Aranea took the time to look hard at Ignis. “Sure, if that had worked out then I would have tried to make some money off of it. Like I said, you’ll are boring so it never worked out.” 

Ignis hummed and cast his steely gaze straight through her. “Your assistance was appreciated, I thank you for that, but I doubt we’ll cross paths again after today.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “I do believe we are finished.” 

Aranea was slightly taken aback by the comment. Clearly she’d rattled Noctis’ advisor, he had turned away and was looking at something on his phone. Hot damn he was ghosting her and she was standing close enough to hit him. Without so much as a nod Aranea spun around and stomped off to the bridge. What did they know about trying to make your own way in the world? 

She didn’t have the support group they’d all had growing up; her parents weren’t around to offer advice. They’d died when she was young, fighting to give her a safer existence. Aranea had clawed her way up in the world and made a name for herself. So what if these Lucians didn’t see it, the path she wanted to tread was still clear in her mind. 

* * *

Aranea’s goals had been shifting ever since Insomnia fell. She no longer viewed Noctis and his friends as a threat. Though she was technically still seen as being loyal to the empire, Aranea was working to change that. She’d stopped doing their bidding before Noctis had been sucked into the crystal. Her priorities had been enlightened. The need to prove herself as a capable, strong warrior had taken a back seat. Aranea’s mission as she saw it was to help rid the Eos of the daemons and assist the refugees being created by this calamity.

The fact that her men willingly followed her into the battle against the very people that had given them such power was a testament to her true ideals. The people of the world didn’t deserve this as their fate. The oracle had been lost and even Niflheim itself was breaking from the inside out. War it seemed brought nothing but heartache. 

Aranea had seen that very clearly when she’d helped Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto escape the keep after Noctis had disappeared in the crystal. The looks of despair among them were nearly unbearable to witness. It wasn’t until they’d been in the dropship sitting glumly for almost an hour did the whole story come to light. 

It appeared that Ignis had gone and fought Ardyn by himself. Aranea was surprised at first that he’d survived, but she was quickly corrected by a tearful Prompto on the true cost. One that Noctis had been able to mercifully reverse with his powers. Without hesitation she glanced over to the bench where Gladio had carefully deposited Ignis when they’d boarded. Aranea wasn’t sure if he was still awake or not, but it became apparent after looking long enough that his breaths were deep. He’d passed out, the faint scaring on his nose and left eye almost blending in, despite being fresh. 

The determination Ignis had displayed even as a youth had never wavered it seemed. He was truly driven to watch after his king. Aranea found that she couldn’t fault him for his devotion. He wanted to help Noctis and the people of Eos break free from the darkness that was the scourge. She admired that immensely and hoped perhaps they’d get an opportunity to talk more in the future.

* * *

The future as it turned out was long and bleak and dark. Aranea continued on with her new mission, helping the people of Eos find safety and shelter. The first few years of darkness kept her busy enough that she rarely ran into the remaining crownsguard or kingsglaive. It wasn’t until resources started getting truly strained did they come together in an unofficial capacity. This meant Aranea had more opportunities to see Gladio, Prompto, or even Ignis in passing than before. They were equally as busy and often drawn apart as they carried on without Noctis.

It was one of these chance encounters that Aranea had an opportunity to show her true colors. Numerous explosions and blue tinged light drew her attention as she scanned the horizon from her dropship. There were only three people that she knew of able to weld the magic of the king. Steering that direction Aranea decided to join the fray and help. 

The door swung open roughly and Aranea was finally able to see who was fighting. Ignis and three others were fiercely battling a daemon and losing ground fast. Wasting no time she leapt into battle. Losing herself in the moment Aranea only broke her concentration when a strangled cry reached her ears. She’d recognized it immediately. Ignis was in trouble. 

The sight that greeted her when she spun around to attack was unexpected. The iron giant towering over them all had its massive weapon stuck into a boulder. Aranea felt her mind slipping sideways as she ran closer and began taking in more details. The mighty sword it welded was lodged fast into the rock and obscured most her vision. With a sinking stomach Aranea began to realize that someone had been pinned to the rock with the sword. The huge expanse of metal didn’t allow her to see a face, only a pair of boots dangling beneath it. 

Getting stabbed by a weapon of that size meant certain death. Pushing the idea from her thoughts Aranea went berserk and poured all her might into the remaining fight. The thing was already wounded and after what felt like an eternity the thing went down. Almost afraid to turn and see the unfortunate soul impaled on its weapon, Aranea took a deep breath and braced herself for the worst. 

Ignis’ pale face greeted her as she spun around. It was nearly the color of the moon, if one could remember its appearance. However, the nearer she drew the more hopeful Aranea became. The man was breathing heavily and looked to be in shock. Before Aranea was able to truly assess the situation Ignis called out to her. 

“A – a little h—help if you don’t mind.” He stuttered. 

“Did it – did it stab you?” Aranea asked with fear looking up to where Ignis had been well and truly stuck to the rock face. 

“No!” he shouted in a panic. “My coat – it’s – I can’t move!” 

Dropping her weapon the next few minutes when by in a flurry of activity. The other men in his company rushed over and between them all they managed to free Ignis of his coat. Once he’d slipped his arm out of the sleeve and slid down the rock face to land in a heap, Aranea could see the strike clearly. Ignis had missed the blade by mere inches. It had pinched his coat and one sleeve trapping him in place. 

It appeared this brush with death was a little more serious than normal. Ignis had stood of his own accord after a minute but quickly reached out to steady himself on the blade cleaved into the rock. Without asking Aranea ducked under his arm and lead the way to her dropship. The man uttered a breathless thanks to her as they stumbled along. Her own heart rate didn’t slow until they were well away. Stealing a look Aranea was thankful to see Ignis resting. She felt useful and proud that Ignis could take a moment to rest while in her presence. She’d heard the rumors, mostly from Cor and Gladio that Ignis had figured out how to save the king from his fate. It was simply a waiting game now, Noctis was the missing link.

* * *

When the king of light returned and subsequently managed to stay alive after he’d brought back the dawn things finally began to change. Aranea almost didn’t believe it at first. The warm rays of sun on her face only convinced her when it began to burn her skin. Rebuilding was a tedious affair. Aranea without question lent assistance to the new king. Refugees needed relocating to new homes and infrastructure repair needed managing. All of which Aranea was willing and able to do. 

It wasn’t until six months later as she stood on the front steps of the citadel that Ignis attempted to hand her a paycheck one day. Aranea merely quirked an eyebrow at the man and waited for an explanation. 

“Your quality of work is sufficient enough to merit a salary.” Ignis offered smoothly though Aranea would swear she noticed a slight blush on his cheeks. 

“Is that so? Where am I going to put that exactly?” She quipped coolly. 

“The bank of course, it’s been newly renovated and is conveniently located just around the corner from the citadel.”

“I might quit again if it gets droll.”

Ignis huffed a small breath out and nodded his understanding. “I can’t fault you for that, perhaps if you’re up for the company we could grab a bite to eat later.” He smiled shyly. “It might make things less boring.” 

“Are you asking me out on a date Ignis?” The man before her hummed in acknowledgement but stayed otherwise silent. “You sly devil, all these years and I thought you simply liked to pick on me for my bad work ethic.” 

Ignis’ eyes lit up at that remark and he interjected before she could answer. “You’ve been truly helpful and proved yourself on many occasions Aranea. I have no fault with your work ethic. Your resoluteness and good nature are traits I quite like in a person.” He finished with a blush that could be seen this time. 

Taken aback by the kind statement Aranea could only nod her acceptance once he’d finished talking. It appeared her dogged determination and will to help those around her had been noticed. She’d gone and made something of her life; it was a surprising notion to consider, albeit one that made her happy and looking forward to what lay ahead. 

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on tumblr if you want. Just mostly FFXV stuff with some random dribbles. [BGN846 Blog](https://bgn846.tumblr.com/)
> 
> or Twitter [ BGN846 Twitter](https://twitter.com/BGN846?lang=en)
> 
> Please don't copy or plagiarize my work. Thanks! Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents.


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